Archived press release

LAPLAND'S REINDEER HUNGRY AND HOMELESS AT CHRISTMAS

16 December 1996

In winter, reindeer feed on hanging lichens that grow on old trees. Modern forestry practices have destroyed over 95% of the old forest in Scandinavia and replaced it with intensively managed plantations, where the trees are cut down before they are old enough to support the hanging lichens that the reindeer eat. The traditional way of life of the Saami people, who rely on the reindeer, is also threatened [2].

Dr Georgina Green of Friends of the Earth said:

"As you unwrap your Christmas presents and throw away the paper, think of poor Rudolph and his friends, hungry and homeless. The governments of Sweden and Finland should act to protect these valuable old forests, to save the plants and animals that live there and enable the Saami people to feed their reindeer."

As well as being important for reindeer, the remaining 5% of old-growth forest is extremely important for biodiversity, including many hundreds of threatened species of plants and animals [2]. Despite calls from Scandinavian environmentalists and scientists, these precious forests continue to be logged.

The UK gets over a third of its paper and almost 40% of its timber from Sweden and
Finland. Friends of the Earth is calling on the governments of Sweden and Finland to protect their old forests and consumers in the UK have sent thousands of postcards as part of the protest.

Friends of the Earth is also campaigning for a reduction in the amount of wood and paper used in the UK, to take the pressure off forests worldwide. This involves more careful use of resources, and an increase in recycling of both wood and paper.

PHOTO CALL:
Pantomime reindeer will be staging a protest at the Swedish Embassy in London,and delivering a petition calling for protection of the old forests to the Swedish Ambassador. Monday 16 December at 10.30 am.

MAP ATTACHED

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Lapland is the area in the north of Scandinavia, now divided between Finland, Sweden,Norway and the western-most part of Russia.

[2] The Saami people are the traditional people of Lapland, who live by herding reindeer,hunting, fishing, and collecting products such as fruits and berries from the forest. Their traditional way of life is threatened by modern forestry and other land use and the lack of recognition of their rights to the land. There are approximately 70-100,000 Saami people.

[3] Over 1,700 forest-dependent plants and animals are listed as threatened in Sweden;in Finland, there are over 700 and in Norway almost 900.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust